Recipe: Pork Trotters Sainte-Menehould Style

1 Take clean front trotters, plunge them into cold water, then bring to a boil and maintain for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water over them at the tap while cleaning them well, then lay them out on a tray.

2 Cover them with the brine and leave for about 30 hours (2 days and 1 night).

3 Make small wooden boards 20 to 25 cm long and 6 to 8 cm wide, then place 2 cleaned and dried trotters per board, one on each side, and tie them firmly.

4 In a large casserole, arrange your small boards, then cover them with 3 carrots, 2 onions, 1 leek, 1 garlic clove (cut into large chunks), a little thyme, 3 bay leaves, 0.4 cup (10 cl) of wine vinegar, and 1.1 qt (1 liter) of dry white wine, and add water until just covered.

5 Bring to a good boil, then place a hermetic lid on top*.

6 Cook for a full day in the oven at 230°F (110°C) (gas mark 4).

7 Remove from the oven and position your casserole so that air can circulate underneath, and let them cool in their broth.

8 Remove your pork trotters, dry them, then detach them from the small boards.

9 All that's left is to split them in half, coat with beautiful breadcrumbs, and pan-fry them a little in fresh butter. You can also grill them on a griddle or a barbecue.

* The old-timers would prepare a lute (flour and water) to hermetically seal their casseroles and take them to the baker who would place them in the late afternoon when the oven intensity was lower, and remove them the next morning.